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Chicago Closing Ramps For Three Weeks

Exit ramps from the inbound Stevenson Expressway (I-55) to both directions of the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94) in Chicago will close to traffic Wednesday, Sept. 8, and will be closed for three weeks.

During the closure, work crews will complete permanent changes on the inbound ramps to the Dan Ryan. Inbound traffic headed for the Dan Ryan Expressway will be rerouted through free-flow turnaround lanes near Martin Luther King Drive. At that point, traffic will be sent outbound on the Stevenson Expressway to the Dan Ryan Expressway exits. IDOT estimates that daily about 46,000 vehicles will be rerouted."When the new exit ramps open upon completion of the Stevenson project, drivers will experience a noticeable improvement in the traffic flow to the Dan Ryan," said John Kos, district engineer for IDOT. "The new configuration is designed to safely separate the exiting lanes of traffic from the traffic heading east towards Lake Shore Drive."IDOT says the remaining portions of this year's Stevenson Expressway reconstruction project are on schedule to be completed by the end of October.This year, IDOT is rebuilding the inbound lanes from California Avenue to the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago and the Des Plaines River Bridge in suburban Cook County.In 2000, the outbound lanes will be completely rebuilt from the Dan Ryan Expressway to California Avenue, and at the Des Plaines River Bridge.For the latest information about Mission I-55, call 312-DOT-INFO or visit the Mission I-55 web site at http://www.dot.state.il.us/i55/idotmain.htm .